Mikulsky powers Knights to third win

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 21, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

Foothills Christian 33, Tri-City Christian 13

By Ramon Scott

EastCountySports.com

VISTA — Foothills Christian gave a linebacker the football, and Drew Mikulsky gave the Knights another way to keep their winning streak rolling.

The junior rushed for 238 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries, powering a second-half turnaround in a 33-13 victory over Tri-City Christian on Friday, Sept. 18.

Mikulsky also led Foothills with eight tackles, helping the Knights win their third consecutive game and move above .500 at 3-2. Tri-City Christian fell to 3-2.

A team that opened the season with consecutive losses now heads into homecoming with an increasingly productive running game—and another player capable of carrying it.

Foothills trailed 7-0 at halftime before scoring 26 unanswered points in the third quarter. The Knights finished with 367 rushing yards and 468 yards of total offense, overwhelming an Eagles team that had won both of its previous home games.

The first breakthrough came through the air. Hayden Oleson connected with Liam Dailey for a touchdown, and Trevor Embleton’s extra point tied the game at seven.

Then Mikulsky took over the scoring.

His first rushing touchdown, followed by another Embleton kick, put the Knights ahead 14-7. Two more Mikulsky touchdown runs extended the advantage to 26-7 before Tri-City answered with a rushing score late in the third quarter.

Foothills entered the fourth ahead 26-13. Mikulsky’s fourth touchdown and Embleton’s third successful extra point completed the scoring, while the Knights held the Eagles scoreless over the final period.

All 33 Foothills points came after halftime.

Mikulsky averaged 9.5 yards per carry, with a long run of 45 yards. His move into a featured offensive role added another dimension to a ground game that had leaned heavily on David Stewart during the previous two victories.

Stewart, coming off a 228-yard performance at Hamilton, gained 45 yards on four carries, including a 32-yard run. Cahlil Martinez added 49 yards on eight attempts, and Oleson contributed a 35-yard run.

The Knights averaged 9.7 yards on 38 rushing attempts. Junior Asher Cross contributed three pancake blocks.

Oleson complemented that ground production with an efficient passing performance, completing 9 of 13 throws for 101 yards and a touchdown. Dailey caught three passes for 50 yards, while Isaac Maisonet made six receptions for 51 yards.

Foothills also did enough defensively to keep Tri-City’s dangerous quarterback from matching the Knights’ second-half scoring surge.

Donovan Cronkhite completed 12 of 18 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown, but the Knights intercepted him twice and limited him to 56 rushing yards on 17 carries. Tri-City finished with 93 rushing yards and 252 total yards, leaving Foothills with a 216-yard advantage in total offense.

Noah Haber was the Eagles’ leading receiver with nine catches for 118 yards and a touchdown.

Maisonet and Embleton each intercepted a pass. Up front, Jake Mangini made six tackles, including three for losses and a sack. Quentin Wardlaw added two tackles for loss, including a sack, and Dennis Hoffman also recorded a sack.

The Knights finished with nine tackles for loss and three sacks. Tuchon Phoenix and Wyatt Matlock each contributed six tackles, including one for a loss, while Dailey made five stops.

Foothills had already demonstrated it could dominate an opponent in a 41-7 victory over Orange Glen and survive a late challenge in a 25-20 win at Hamilton. Friday added a different test: overcoming a scoreless first half against a winning team on the road.

The response was a 26-point third quarter and a third straight victory.

A different back, the same ground success

David Stewart and Drew Mikulsky have given Foothills Christian consecutive 200-yard rushing performances from different players.

Stewart carried 38 times for 228 yards and two touchdowns at Hamilton. One week later, Mikulsky delivered 238 yards and four touchdowns on 25 attempts at Tri-City Christian.

Together, those two performances produced 466 yards and six touchdowns on 63 carries.

Mikulsky’s offensive workload did not prevent him from leading the Knights in tackles Friday. His eight stops included one for a loss, and he added a quarterback hurry.

The supporting runners were productive, too. Stewart, Cahlil Martinez and Hayden Oleson combined for 129 yards on 13 carries against Tri-City, giving Foothills nearly 10 yards per attempt beyond Mikulsky’s contribution.

Three trips, three wins

Foothills Christian has won all three of its true road games, beating Orange Glen, Hamilton and Tri-City Christian by a combined 99-40.

The Knights have averaged 33 points per game during the winning streak, climbing from 0-2 to 3-2.

Friday’s victory was especially encouraging because Foothills did not need an early lead to establish control. After trailing at halftime, the Knights outscored Tri-City 33-6 over the final two quarters.

The computers now have Foothills No. 3 in San Diego Section Division V-AA, up from No. 4 entering the Tri-City matchup.

Camp Ironman powers Knights

Drew Mikulsky’s big night at Tri-City Christian had a preseason introduction at Camp Gibbor.

During Foothills Christian’s three-day retreat and training camp, Mikulsky and senior Trevor Embleton finished on top in the Knights’ Ironman competition. Mikulsky showed his strength in the tractor-tire flip event, part of the off-campus experience featured in the team’s season preview.

That strength carried onto the football field Friday. The junior rushed for 238 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries, then led the defense with eight tackles in the Knights’ 33-13 victory.

Embleton also contributed to the comeback, making three extra points and intercepting a pass.

The two Ironman standouts helped Foothills turn a 7-0 halftime deficit into its third consecutive victory.

Nevada visitor for homecoming

Lake Mead Christian Academy (1-2) at Foothills Christian (3-2)
Friday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., at El Cajon Valley High — Homecoming

The Knights return to El Cajon for homecoming against Lake Mead Christian Academy of Henderson, Nevada, seeking their fourth consecutive victory.

The visiting Eagles lean on Trystan Rudd, who averages 92.3 rushing yards per game. Lake Mead averages 144.3 yards on the ground and 190.7 yards of total offense.

Quarterback Colten Downing averages 46.3 passing yards, with Adrian Cortez contributing 36 receiving yards per game.

That makes Foothills’ work against the run a useful starting point. The Knights held Tri-City to 3.3 yards per carry and repeatedly forced negative plays. Containing Rudd would put more of the burden on Lake Mead’s passing game.

On offense, Foothills brings a season average of 229 rushing yards and 316 total yards per game, along with the confidence of consecutive breakout performances from Stewart and Mikulsky.

Maintaining Oleson’s efficiency and getting production from both backs would give the Knights a strong foundation for extending their streak in front of the homecoming crowd.

Foothills Christian 33, Tri-City Christian 13

Team	1	2	3	4	Final
Foothills Christian	0	0	26	7	33
Tri-City Christian	7	0	6	0	13

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Passing: Hayden Oleson 9-13, 101 yards, 1 TD.

Rushing: Drew Mikulsky 25-238, 4 TD; Cahlil Martinez 8-49; David Stewart 4-45; Hayden Oleson 1-35. Totals: 38-367, 4 TD.

Receiving: Isaac Maisonet 6-51; Liam Dailey 3-50, 1 TD. Totals: 9-101, 1 TD.

Defensive leaders: Mikulsky 8 tackles, 1 TFL; Jake Mangini 6 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack; Tuchon Phoenix 6 tackles, 1 TFL; Wyatt Matlock 6 tackles, 1 TFL; Dailey 5 tackles; Quentin Wardlaw 3 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack; Dennis Hoffman 1 tackle, 1 TFL, 1 sack.

Interceptions: Maisonet 1; Trevor Embleton 1.

Kicking: Embleton 3 PATs.

Blocking: Asher Cross 3 pancake blocks.